Page 50 of Better Than Revenge

“You already messaged her?”

I nodded. “I found that last night.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” he teased. “Gotta get to class. Talk to you later.” He paused for a moment, meeting my eyes, his expression seeming to ask if I was okay. I was not okay, but I gave him a slight nod. With that, he got up and walked toward the door like that was the most natural interaction in the world.

The late bell rang out a sharp tone. When the room fell into silence again, Jensen said, “He’s just doing that to bug me.”

I leveled him with a stare. “Doing what?”

“Talking to you,” he said. Someone on the other side of the room giggled. I could’ve sworn someone else said “I agree” under their breath.

Ava backhanded him on the arm. “Not everything is about you, dude.”

“But this is. I guarantee it. You should be careful because he’snot.”

If only he knew just how careful I was being. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. “You’re the person I should’ve been warned about, Jensen. I think I’m good.”

“Oh!” someone to my left said, as though that was the worst insult I could’ve given.

Jensen sighed like he was the one who should be frustrated over this interaction. “Do what you want, Finley.”

I balled my fists near my thighs but did not respond how I wanted to. I’d already had too much of an audience for too much of my drama lately. I wasn’t going to feed the gossip machine.

Nolen stood at the head of the table. “Okay, I know we’re in the entertainment industry, but let’s keep the drama to a minimum during class. Yeah?” He looked at me like I had somehow caused all the drama.

My clenched fists became tighter on my lap.Do not make any comments, none at all,I told myself. You will just end up looking like the bitter ex-girlfriend. I probably already did.

Chapter

seventeen

I RUSHED OUT OF THEconference room and then the library it was connected to after class, still seething, glad lunch was our next period, because I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on another class right now. I reached the hall, where I literally ran into the strong arm of Theo, stopping me in my tracks.

“Hey, whoa, slow down, you okay?”

“Why are you here?” I snapped, stunned by his appearance in front of me.

“Sometimes we sit in the library at lunch,” he said. “But also, you seemed upset earlier.”

“Did you hear what he said?” I looked over my shoulder, and when I saw the rest of the class, who hadn’t been as quick to the door as me, now exiting, I clamped my mouth shut.

“Come here,” he said, leading me out of the building and down the hall, then around a corner where he stopped. “What’s going on?”His look of concern, so different from his normal teasing smirk, was throwing me off.

“Jensen. My grandma texted him. He wants to visit her.”

“Your grandma texted him?”

“She keeps forgetting we broke up. She has Alzheimer’s.”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Yeah.” My chest was tight and my eyes felt hot.

He put his hands on my shoulders but didn’t say anything, just took a few breaths in and out. I found myself mimicking his actions until my chest loosened. “How did you do that?” I asked.

“I didn’t do anything,” he responded, but his hands still felt warm and steady on my shoulders. My hands, I realized, much to my surprise, were gripping the sides of his shirt.

I dropped them and cleared my throat, feeling emotions rise up my neck. “I’m okay,” I said, nodding once, then twice, maybe three times.

---